Texas has stuff I'm not familiar with. Leaves don't look shiny enough for southern magnolia,

This is in central Texas near a river... I wonder, could it be Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)? Its leaves are supposed to have a spicy fragrance when rubbed, so maybe I can check for that?

Otherwise, I'm really curious about what this could be? Usually trees in Texas with smooth leaves this large form a pretty small category...yet I've never seen this one before!

Sweetbay leaves look like a pretty good match. What you show is prb'ly too young to flower yet. It's got a vine on it.....

^ Yea, it would just be a bit odd since it would be a bit out of its range here in central Texas...?

hi blakrab, did you know an old name for sweetbay is M. glauca? Why do you think that is? Does it apply to your plant?

^ Glauca means bluish-grey or green...which I'm guessing referred to the fuzzy, grayish undersides of its leaves?

Well if that's so, then that would DQ this plant as Magnolia virginiana, as it lacks that. So, back to the drawing board, then? WTF is this??? :D

compare your tree with avocado leaf images

OK, so I smelled a leaf and took another picture. I did not notice any spicy fragrance when crushed, and the underside is not fuzzy, but a bit grayish when not backlit...

Hmm, Avocado could be a possibility too...although I'd be a bit skeptical that it could've survived the deep freeze from Winter Storm Uri back in February. Sure, it still could've grown back from its roots...but I doubt grown about 10' already from that?

Might have to cut off a stem/leaf & go to/send it to an Ag center?

Is it evergreen? Ovate leaves seems to be the default for so many plants. Need images flowers, fruit. Have you considered Tupelo?

Well, so far no flowers... Hmm, Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum/Tupelo) sounds like a possibility?

BTW, I believe I also just found another specimen growing just about 2-3 miles away? This one was also around ~7' tall...

So, what the heck is this tree, exactly???

So, here's an idea...could these possibly be American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana)? As their leaves are about ~5" long, which is a bit on the large end for them (yet still within their 2½-6" range), and they do also resemble their shape and alternate, drooping arrangement.

OK, so there were actually a few American Persimmon trees growing just about a mile away from these...

And here are some leaves from another American Persimmon tree about 100 miles away...of which I do see a lot of similarities in size, shape, and vein pattern...

So, American Persimmon does seem like a candidate...although I'm still not sure that's it? But, neither do I have any other better possibilities at the moment?

Your first pic seems to show pretty big leaves, and persimmon isn't exactly a tree with "big" leaves. Still, looks pretty close and sometimes vigorous sprouts have bigger-than-average leaves.

Diospyros virginiana